Friday, December 16, 2011

-Pusuke, a Shiba mix from Japan, died last week aged 26 -Oldest dog ever was Bluey from Australia who lived to 29 but died in 1939

By Emily Allen

Pensioner: Pip with her owner Tiffany Dyer. The highly-trained hound still performs with 18 other dogs with the Essex Dog Display Team

A 24-year-old dog called Pip has walked into the record books becoming the world's oldest canine after the previous record holder died.

Pip - who is 170 in human years - took over the title after the death last week of 26-year-old Shiba mix Pusuke, from Japan.

But rather than leading the easy life indoors by the fire, energetic terrier whippet cross Pip has jumped through hoops of fire, posted letters, sniffed out firearms and even met royalty during her long life.

The highly-trained hound still performs with 18 other dogs with the Essex Dog Display Team.

Her owner Tiffany Dyer, 36, of Brentwood, said: 'It is wonderful to know that Pip is the oldest dog in the world and it is great to have the accolade.

'But the main thing for me is her quality of life, that is so important to me.

'She has the right amount of exercise and a very good diet but she is a little old lady now so she needs her time to relax.

'The younger dogs on the display team are very good with her and she can still give them a run for their money.'

Royalty: Pip is pictured meeting meeting the Duchess of Cornwall. Her age in human years stands at a jaw-dropping 170 and she will celebrate another birthday in June

Talented: Daredevil Pip jumping through flaming hoops in 2004. She has worked as a display dog for 23 years and has hundreds of fans

Pip has a few years to go yet before she can lay claim to being the oldest recorded dog in history - a title held by Bluey, an Australian cattle dog who was whopping 29 years old when he died in 1939.

She will celebrate another birthday in June.

Throughout her long and illustrious career with her dog display team, Pip performed more than 1,000 times and was even praised by the Queen after she starred at the Royal Tournament in front of at Earls Court in 1997.

These days her role is at a slower place and she accompanies founder of the display team, and Ms Dyer's father, Roy Dyer, 68, to talks on how to care for older dogs.

Construction worker Ms Dyer added that she was probably Pip’s best friend now after her collie-poodle cross friend, Archie, died earlier this year aged nine.

Old ladies: For the past 20 years Pip, left, has been helping children with a fear of dogs. Pusuke, right, the world's oldest living dog according to Guinness World Records, died on Monday, December 5 aged 26

She said: 'She is one of those dogs who has looked like an old lady for the past decade so I have not really notice a change in her appearance.

'But Pip does have problems with her eye-sight and hearing now so I have changed her commands to use more hand signals and clicks - that is the way that I teach her now.'She sits, she lies down and she will give me her paw.'

Pip has hundreds of fans from her 23 years of working as a display dog and in October she also caught the eye of the Duchess of Cornwall during a Royal visit to see the display team in action.

For the past 20 years Pip has been helping children with a fear of dogs - known an cynophobia, conquer their fears.

Mr Dyer said: 'She has done it all, from searching for guns to jumping through hoops of fire and after the team performed for the Queen, her majesty said to me ‘Mr Dyer, that was absolutely brilliant’.

'She is not the prettiest dog in the world, but we love her so much and at her grand age she is entitled to be a bit less steady on her feet now.

'We have given her a reasonable amount of exercise, but not run her into the ground and she has lots of home comforts.

'She loves lying down in front of the fire relaxing and gets lots of cuddles .

'I would say that she is happiest when she is out in Tiffany’s Land Rover, looking at the world from the back window.'

But despite her startling age, Pip is unlikely to ever gain a place in the official record books because Ms Dyer does not have a birth certificate for her, having taken her on as a one year-old when she needed re-homing.

A Kennel Club spokesman said: 'It is very unusual for dogs to live to such a ripe old age and it is great to hear of a dog not only reaching 24 but still leading a happy life.'